This invention generally relates to the art of fiber optic transmission and, particularly, to a self-contained fiber optic connector module.
Fiber optic connectors of a wide variety of designs have been employed to terminate optical fiber cables and to facilitate connection of the cables to other cables or other optical fiber transmission devices. A typical fiber optic connector includes a ferrule which mounts and centers an optical fiber or fibers within the connector. The ferrule may be fabricated of such material as ceramic. A ferrule holder or other housing component of the connector embraces the ferrule and may be fabricated of such material as molded plastic. A spring may be disposed within the housing or ferrule holder such that the ferrule is yieldably biased forwardly for engaging another fiber-mounting ferrule of a mating connecting device.
A pair of fiber optic connectors or a connector and another optical fiber transmission device often are mated in an adapter which centers the fibers to provide low insertion losses. The adapter couples the connectors together so that their encapsulated fibers connect end-to-end. The adapter may be an in-line component, or the adapter can be designed for mounting in an opening in a panel, backplane, circuit board or the like.
Various problems continue to be encountered in designing fiber optic connector assemblies or other connector assemblies, including applications involving backplanes, motherboards, daughterboards and the like. Such problems include properly and precisely placing a connector assembly on a substrate, such as a printed circuit board, accommodating misalignment of the connectors during mating, allowing relative floating movement between various components of the system and similar positional-type problems. Other problems simply involve efforts to simplify the design of connector assemblies. The present invention is directed to solving these problems and to providing various improvements in such connector assemblies.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved fiber optic connector module.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the module includes a ferrule terminated to at least one optical fiber. The ferrule includes a front mating end and a rear end. A pin keeper is engaged with the rear end of the ferrule. At least one alignment pin extends from the pin keeper through the ferrule and projects beyond the front mating end of the ferrule for operative association with a complementary connecting device. A pusher member is spaced behind the pin keeper. A spring is sandwiched between the pusher member and the pin keeper. The spring has opposite ends fixed to the pusher member and the pin keeper to hold the entire module together as a self-contained unit.
As disclosed herein, the pin keeper and the pusher member each has a receptacle means for receiving opposite ends of the spring. The spring is a coil spring, and the pin keeper and the pusher member having locking flanges within the receptacles thereof for locking with coils at opposite ends of the coil spring.
Other features of the invention include the pusher member having latch means for latching the module in engagement with the complementary connecting device. Preferably, the coil spring is generally oval in cross-configuration to facilitate locking the spring to the locking flanges of the pin keeper and the pusher member.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.